Posts with the Tag “gems”

This June 2013 thought piece from Sciencewise-ERC explores the opportunities and challenges of engaging online. The report represents a systematic attempt by Sciencewise to bring together two trends in public policy decision making: digitalization and open government, with a focus on how public dialogue efforts can harness the full potential of online and digital technologies. (continue)

One of the National Issues Forums Institute’s issue guides, Political Fix: How Do We Get American Politics Back on Track? outlines this critical public issue and several choices or approaches to addressing the issue. National Issues Forums do not advocate a specific solution or point of view, but provide citizens the opportunity to consider a broad range of choices, weigh the pros and cons of those options, and meet with each other in a public dialogue to identify the concerns they hold in common. From the […] (continue)

Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue commissioned this short video of the well-known Toronto-based community organizer Dave Meslin in May 2013. The video showcases Meslin’s ideas to increase civic engagement and makes the case for why involving citizens in decision-making is critical in improving our cities. The video also marks the 2013 Bruce and Lis Welch Community Dialogue, titled Building a Culture of Participation. This event brought together City of Vancouver employees, members of the City’s Engaged City Task Force and community members to explore […] (continue)

What is the state of public participation in local government decision making in California? Two 2013 Public Agenda reports present the shared — and divergent — perspectives of public officials and the leaders of civic organizations on the issue. The research indicates: Public meetings often do not meet the needs of residents or local officials. Large segments of the public are often missing from the decision-making process — especially low-income populations, immigrants and young people. Local officials and civic leaders in California share concern for a […] (continue)

Citizen engagement has become increasingly important in the last ten years, but we have barely scraped the surface of what innovative public engagement can do for public services, communities and citizens. Part of what is holding us back is outdated myths about citizen engagement. “From Fairy Tale to Reality: Dispelling the Myths around Citizen Engagement” is a collaborative venture by Involve and the RSA. The pamphlet debunks common misconceptions of public engagement such as fears of spiralling costs and dwindling prospects of success, and provides […] (continue)

The first three years of a child’s life are a time of great opportunity, as well as risk. We can tip the scales in favor of healthy development by providing early experiences and relationships that help babies and toddlers thrive. Our failure to do so can lead to long-lasting harm to our children, communities, and economy. In order to consider ways to ensure a good start for all West Virginia’s children, the Early Childhood Advisory Council of West Virginia joined with the West Virginia Center […] (continue)

The purpose of this article (2013) by authors John M. Bryson, Kathryn S. Quick, Carissa Schively Slotterback, and Barbara C. Crosby is to present a systematic, cross-disciplinary, and accessible synthesis of relevant research and to oﬀer explicit evidence-based design guidelines to help practitioners design better participation processes. From the research literature, the authors glean suggestions for iteratively creating, managing, and evaluating public participation activities. The article takes an evidence-based and design science approach, suggesting that eﬀ ective public participation processes are grounded in analyzing the context […] (continue)

This model ordinance was designed to be used and adapted by local governments, and to help local leaders begin to update and strengthen the legal framework for public participation. The ordinance was produced by the Working Group on Legal Frameworks for Public Participation. Matt Leighninger, executive director of the Deliberative Democracy Consortium, can be contacted with questions at mattl@deliberative-democracy.net. The model ordinance, which consists of three sections (Definitions, Public Participation Policy, and Principles for Public Participation) describes “public participation” (inclusive of the terms public comment, public hearing, public engagement, […] (continue)

This study released on September 12, 2012 by the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) shows that a strong civic foundation is directly linked to strengthening employment at the metropolitan, county, and state levels. Communities with better civic health have weathered the recent recession far better – and experienced considerably smaller increases in unemployment – than other communities that faced similar economic circumstances. The NCoC report, Civic Health and Unemployment II: The Case Builds, was produced in partnership with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, […] (continue)

Several years in the making, with the involvement of many of us in the D&D community, this 2012 book edited by Tina Nabatchi, John Gastil, G. Michael Weiksner, and Matt Leighninger can be purchased here on Amazon.com for under $30. The 336-page book is published by Oxford University Press. Although the field of deliberative civic engagement is growing rapidly around the world, our knowledge and understanding of its practice and impacts remain highly fragmented. Democracy in Motion represents the first comprehensive attempt to assess the practice and impact of […] (continue)